


Hobbit on the Rocks

by NellieOleson



Category: Stargate SG-1
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-07
Updated: 2012-04-07
Packaged: 2017-11-03 04:33:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/377347
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NellieOleson/pseuds/NellieOleson
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Sam and Jack on a two person mission off-world; blurred lines</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hobbit on the Rocks

Sam concentrated on keeping her feet under her as she plucked her way through a swath of ground that might have been the origin of all rocks in the known universe. It stretched out on either side of them like a wide, gray river. Some of the rocks were big, some were small, and all of them wanted a piece of her ankle. She readjusted her foot. They had miles to go and broken ankles wouldn’t do much to speed things up.   
  
“So. This is a nice planet,” she said over her shoulder when she found less ambiguous footing. The relative smoothness of the ground brought a welcome sense of stability. She stopped and waited, giving her ankles a chance to relax.  
  
“Eh. It’s a little too monodramatic for me,” said Colonel O’Neill. She looked back and he was just clearing the last of the rocks. He stopped to reposition his pack and stretch his knees.   
  
“Monochromatic?”  
  
“Yeah. That’s what I said.”  
  
Sam looked around. He had a point. Everything was washed in varying shades of gray—the sky, the rocks, and the trees. A thick, gray blanket of clouds hovered above them like a bad omen. Even the shadows failed to reach a respectable depth of blackness. “It could be worse,” she said. At least it wasn’t raining. Or snowing. Or doing any number of unpleasant meteorological things.  
  
Colonel O’Neill caught up with her, putting a hand on her shoulder to get her attention. “Why would you say that, Carter? Have you ever seen anything positive come after that statement?”  
  
He was obviously in a glass-half-empty kind of mood. “Sorry, sir,” she said.   
  
Sam studied the landscape ahead. It was mostly flat and almost welcoming. The Tok’ra had provided them with detailed terrain maps so they could choose their angle of approach but sometimes even the most detailed maps kept things to themselves. Like the rocks they’d just crossed. The city itself was hidden behind a veil of interference. Whether it was intentional or just a by-product of the Goa’uld attack was the million-dollar question.  
  
And they’d been chosen to answer it. Actually, he’d been chosen and she was just the lucky runner-up. So here they were. Just the two of them doing nothing but walking for at least two solid Tollana days, days that happened to be four hours and thirty-two minutes longer than Earth days.  
  
“Wanna play I Spy?” He looked around for something to spy--it would probably be something gray.  
  
It was going to be a long mission. “No, sir.”   
  
“Yeah. Neither do I.” He kicked at a small stone that was trying to escape the mother lode and make a life for itself. “Sure was nice of the Tok’ra to drop us off so far away.”  
  
They’d had this discussion twice on the cargo ship. He knew it was dangerous to land near the city and the Tok’ra weren’t exactly known for their risk-taking nature. She repeated what the Tok’ra had told them because there was really nothing else to say.  “Their sensors haven’t been able to penetrate the interference surrounding the city.”    
  
“Yes,” he said with just a hint of suspicion. “So they said.”  
  
She let the conversation end there. Anything more would just lead to an uncomfortable discussion about how little Colonel O’Neill trusted the Tok’ra. Not that he didn’t have his reasons, but his suspicions about the Tok’ra dumping them far away just to make them walk were unfounded and she wasn’t in the mood for conspiracy theories. She thought about changing the subject but found her bucket of useless conversation starters empty and they continued on their way.  
  
  
  
**********  
  
  
  
“Why don’t we ever bring marshmallows?”  
  
They’d stopped for the night before the rapidly fading light disappeared completely. Sam sat on her rucksack in front of the fire that had finally taken hold. Her pack was lumpy and uncomfortable. If this mission were part of a movie, they’d have found a nice log to sit on. And they would have had marshmallows, not that she would have cared.   
  
“I hate marshmallows.”  
  
“I may have to reassess my opinion of you, Carter.” He poked at the fire with a stick he’d been whittling and it flared up like it had big plans for the evening. She watched the sparks dissipate like fiery dust motes and smiled.   
  
“They’re not natural,” she said.  
  
He stopped harassing the fire and looked her squarely in the eyes. “They’re fluffy, Carter,” he said. “How can you hate something fluffy?”  
  
“Were you on the debate team in High School, sir?”  
  
“What?” He pretended to be confused and she pretended not to know he was pretending.  
  
“Never mind.” She stood up and stretched her back. The puddle of light from their fire struggled under the weight of the moonless night. It obviously needed more ammo. “I’m going to get some more firewood.”   
  
They took turns sleeping through the night. Mostly out of habit because there had been no sign of anything hostile in the area. The Tollan had gone to great lengths to choose a planet with no native inhabitants and relatively docile wildlife. If the Goa’uld were occupying the planet, they wouldn’t be hanging around this far out from the city and the Stargate.  
  
Setting up two tents was deemed unnecessary and when it was her turn to sleep, Sam curled up in a sleeping bag that was still warm. She could still smell him on the fabric but tried not to notice. Empty planet or not, they were definitely safer sleeping in shifts.  
  
  
**********  
  
  
Dawn brought clouds a deeper shade of gray that threatened rain. The air was damp and thick in her lungs. Sam thought maybe she should have kept her mouth shut about how things could have been worse. Bad weather would slow them down and they were on a tight schedule. They ate a cold breakfast and packed with a wordless efficiency honed to perfection on worlds throughout the galaxy.   
  
The day started off slowly, both of them needing some time to work the stiffness out of their bodies. They worked their way up to their traveling pace and Colonel O’Neill fell in beside Sam.   
  
“You know what we need?” He asked.  
  
That was a loaded question. Sam thought there were quite a few things they needed. “Do you want the short list, or the long list?”  
  
Colonel O’Neill stopped short and looked at her. “Really?”  
  
“Really.”  
  
He just shook his head and kept talking. “A giant Zat gun,” he said, holding his hands apart for emphasis.  
  
“Who would carry it?”  
  
“No one. We could mount it to a cargo ship and Zat people from orbit. Save us a lot of trouble trying to sort the good guys from the bad guys. We could Zat them all and swoop in while they were unconscious to clean up.”  
  
“That’s…actually not a bad idea.”  
  
“I know,” he said. His eyes lit up and he reminded Sam of Teal’c in donut shop. “You should make one.”  
  
Yes, because she needed more things to do. “I’ll get right on that, sir.”  
  
Colonel O’Neill tried harder than usual to keep a conversation going and the day passed in a steady rhythm of footfalls punctuated by sporadic fits of small talk. Sam kept waiting for him make his point, because she was pretty sure he had one, but that part didn’t come until much later.  
  
  
**********  
  
  
They saw the ugly bruise in the sky long before they saw the city.   
  
A low slung energy mass hung over city and a smell like hot pennies surrounded them. There was another smell, deeper and sweeter than the acrid scent of hyperactive electrons. Sam didn’t want to think about where that one was coming from.  
  
Neither of them said anything as they made their way close enough to get a visual assessment of the situation. A fluctuating hum that reminded Sam of live power lines grew in her ears as they closed the distance. It ended with a loud clap but before long, the humming sound returned. By the third cycle, Sam barely flinched.  
  
They made their way to a ridge so they could get a better view without getting too close. The devastation was painfully obvious from their vantage point but Colonel O’Neill pulled out his binoculars to get the full effect. “I guess that explains the odd readings on the Tok’ra sensors.” He motioned toward the city. “I’m pretty sure no one is down in that mess trying to salvage anything.” He paused to look through his binoculars again. “This might be the first time bad Tok’ra intel turned out to be a good thing.”  
  
Energy spikes shot out of empty space every time the high-pitched whine reached a crescendo. Sam held out her hand and he gave her the binoculars. Things were moving in her field of vision but not in any natural pattern. The destruction of the phase-shifting weapons plant seemed to have lasting effects. Objects were vanishing and reappearing at random. Matter seemed to have quit fighting over occupied space and managed to reappear in places it should have been denied access to. Sam shifted to get a better view. She thought she saw a body embedded in a concrete wall. “Not for the Tollans,” she said quietly and handed the binoculars back to Colonel O’Neill.   
  
They didn’t stay long and Sam was glad. Listening to the final Goaul’d attack had been bad, looking down on the results was worse. Seeing such an advanced race fail so spectacularly at surviving was a humbling experience. Colonel O’Neill’s shuffling feet told her to put those thoughts aside and move on. She’d have plenty of time to contemplate their mortality on the return trip.   
  
Sam dropped her pack and pulled out Daniel’s camera—he’d insisted one of them bring it along. Colonel O’Neill watched her take some shots for their mission report and Daniel’s photo album. “I don’t suppose there’s any way to get a message to the Tok’ra?” He asked. “Have them pick us up here?”  
  
He looked so optimistic she almost didn’t answer. “No,” she told him. “They’re not even in this system anymore.” She turned around to take some more pictures--Lot’s wife with a digital camera. “We’ll be going back the same way we came.”  
  
“Of course we will,” he said mostly to himself. “Of course we will.”   
  
  
**********  
  
  
They were crossing a field littered with wildflowers and the trees were chattering in the wind as they passed. Something started calling in the distance, probably warning its friends of their approach. Sam’s mind automatically made it a bird, but it could have been anything. She tried to look for the town crier but it was impossible to tell where its call was originating.  
  
“Hey, Carter?”  
  
Sam increased her pace. “Sir?”  
  
Colonel O’Neill was crouched down in front of a purple flower the size of a dinner plate. “Do we have any flying reptiles on Earth?” He asked.  
  
Herpetology wasn’t really her thing but she gave it some thought anyway. “Pteranodons?” She offered.   
  
“Anything more recent?” He pointed to something that at first looked like a large dragonfly. It was flying haphazardly in and out of the flower’s center like a drunken honeybee. She looked closer when it finally settled on a petal and it was definitely a lizard of some sort. It regarded them with a lazy reptilian blink and stuck out its tongue.  
  
Well, that was different. “Not that I know of.”  
  
“Huh. That’s too bad.” They watched the creature crawl around on the flower like they had all the time in the world. “Because this thing is really cool.”  
  
It was really cool. They were making good time since there had been no reason to linger in the city so Sam pulled out the camera and took a picture of it. “I feel like Daniel,” she said. Not for the first time, she wondered why she was the one chosen for this mission and not Daniel or Teal’c. Well, mostly just why she was chosen over Teal’c, because personally, she would have chosen Teal’c unless they were dealing with unknown alien inhabitants. It didn’t take a physicist to determine if the Gou’ald were hanging around.   
  
“Thankfully, you don’t look like Daniel,” he said and got to his feet. “Lets stop for lunch. I like this place.” He looked around. “It’s very picnic-y.”  
  
The lizard-bug flew off while they made themselves comfortable. Sam watched it go and hoped it would return with some friends. Entertainment always made the MRE’s taste better. The bug didn’t return and Sam settled in to a contemplative meal. She noticed Colonel O’Neill stealing sidelong glances at her long before he said anything.  
  
“So. How’ve you been?” He finally asked.  
  
“Fine, sir.”  
  
“Are you sure? You’ve had a lot of…drama in your life recently.”  
  
She had, and she was tired of talking about it. Sam had gotten more offers to ‘talk about it’ since the Adrian Conrad incident than she cared to count. “Yes. I’m fine. Really.” Wasn’t she? She’d probably been closer to death dozens of times. Sure, off-world. But on Earth? Was she really okay with the fact that she’d been moments away from having her brain stolen by regular old Earth humans?  
  
Maybe she wasn’t and maybe she really needed to change the subject before she started arguing with herself out loud. She thought she’d take the conversation someplace completely different but later she’d realize she’d only managed to take it in a circle. “Why did you bring me on this mission?” She asked.  
  
Colonel O’Neill paused long enough for Sam to realize he was about to lie to her. “We were looking for scientists.”  
  
Not only was he lying, he was lying badly. “We were looking for Goa’uld.”  
  
“Goa’uld scientists, Carter.” He left it at that like it made sense and an uncomfortable silence joined them for the rest or their meal.   
  
  
**********  
  
  
They were approaching the rock pit from hell when Sam’s nose started to itch. She looked at the surrounding foliage wondering which to blame for the intrusion. She wasn’t allergic to anything on Earth but something in the air was definitely wreaking havoc on her sinuses. She spotted some large trees joyously releasing clouds of blue and yellow pollen into the wind. She’d never seen anything like it. Daniel probably would have dropped dead; he was allergic to everything.   
  
Sam was about to call Colonel O’Neill’s attention to the show when he fell. He went down hard and his weapon clattered on the rocks. She resisted the urge to run when he didn’t get up. There was no way they’d make it back it they were both injured. He rolled onto his back when she approached and threw an arm over his face. At least he was still conscious. And alive.   
  
“Are you okay, sir?” She dropped her rucksack and kneeled down beside him.  
  
“No.”   
  
He tried to sit up and Sam was afraid he was going to pass out. She took his pack off and put a hand on his back to help him lean forward. “What did you hurt?”  
  
He took his hat off and wiped his forehead. “My ankle.”  
  
Of course it was his ankle. She’d practically been waiting for one of them to get an ankle caught up in the rocks. “Shit. Is it broken?”  
  
“I think so,” he said. Sam scooted down to get a better look at it and he flinched. “Don’t touch it.” He reached down and tightened the laces on his boot with unsteady hands. “Fuck that hurts.” He looked at his watch and frowned. “I guess we’re not going to make it.”  
  
They were still miles away from their rendezvous point. The Tok’ra wouldn’t wait for them if they weren’t there on time and they wouldn’t come looking for them. If they missed the first deadline, the Tok’ra would give them twenty-fours hours and try again. After that, all bets were off until another cargo ship became available.   
  
“Nope. Looks like I’m stuck with you for another day,” she told him. She thought they’d make the second window even if she had to drag Colonel O’Neill the rest of the way.  
  
“Thanks, Carter. I feel better already.” He leaned back on his elbows and stared up at the sky. “You’re going to have carry me.”  
  
She smiled. At least his sense of humor wasn’t broken. “Sure. Let me know when you’re ready.”  
  
“Give me a minute,” he said.  
  
She gave him several. After scouting around for a suitable walking stick, she consolidated the most important supplies in one pack and left the rest. There was no way she could manage Colonel O’Neill and two rucksacks. Again, she thought he’d have been better off bringing Teal’c along for the fun.   
  
  
**********  
  
  
It was a painstakingly slow hobble across the rocks. They stopped often and by the time they got to the other side, she was supporting most of his weight. Despite his lanky appearance, Colonel O’Neill was heavy and Sam felt like she’d been sparring with Teal’c.   
  
They were both sweaty and short of breath when they stopped. She managed to get him safely to the ground and pulled out his canteen.   
  
“Here,” she offered.   
  
“Thanks.” He took a mouthful of water and dumped the rest on his head. “I think I’m done for the day.” Sam thought she was probably done too and she sat down next to him.  
  
They sat together in silence and Sam looked from her boots to his knees and out to the tree line. She tapped her fingers on the side of her canteen for a while. She put the canteen down and drew circles in the dirt. Her finger got hung up on the edge of a rock and she spent some time trying to dig it out. It turned out to be bigger than she expected so she gave up and dumped some water into the hole she’d dug.  
  
“What?”  
  
She looked up, surprised to find him staring at her. “What what?”  
  
“Whatever it is you’re thinking of saying. Out with it.”  
  
Oh, that. “Why am I really here instead of Daniel or Teal’c?” He raised an eyebrow and she tried hard to look serious. “Okay, why am I here instead of Teal’c?” She conceded.  
  
“Do you really want me to answer that?”  
  
She considered his question. It was possible he’d say something she really didn’t want to hear. “Yeah. I think I do.”   
  
He leaned close to her and Sam thought he was going to kiss her. Then he tried to lie again. “I like you better than Teal’c,” he whispered. Well, maybe it wasn’t a lie, but it sure wasn’t the reason he’d selected her.  
  
She laughed. “Great, we’re like fifth graders.”   
  
He looked away and all the humor slid off his face. “I’m sorry,” he said.   
  
“For what?” That wasn’t the answer she’d been expecting at all but it was certainly less ominous than most of the other stuff her brain had conjured up.  
  
His hat bore the brunt of his discomfort and Sam watched him wind it around his hands while he thought of an answer. “I should have--.” He paused and dropped his hat in his lap. “I don’t know, done something sooner.” He turned back to her with dark eyes. “It shouldn’t have taken two days to figure out you’d been kidnapped.”  
  
Certainly, it would have been nice if they’d found her sooner but there was no way he could have figured out she’d been kidnapped any faster unless he’d been stalking her. “It was the weekend,” she reminded him. “And I was at the gym. I’m sure they waited until I was away from my house just to buy some time.”  
  
He was quiet for a moment. “Those ninjas are sneaky bastards.”  
  
“Ninjas?”  
  
“Never mind.” He waved the question away. “It’s not important. I just wanted you to know…you know.” He reached over and wrapped his hand around hers.   
  
Yeah, she knew.  
  
“And if you ever do want to talk about it,” he said. “I’ve been there.”   
  
She looked down at their hands. “Somebody wanted to steal your brain too?”  
  
“Okay. Not that part. But the whole kidnapped-and-held against-my-will-by-crazy-people? So done that.”  
  
“Thank you, ” she said. “I just might take you up on that offer when we get back.”  
  
“You do that, Carter.” He tightened his grip on her hand. “I think I’m going to have a lot of free time on my hands.”  
  
Sam wanted to remind him that the Tok’ra could easily fix his ankle before they got back to Earth but she was too distracted by the warmth of his fingers.  
  
  
**********  
  
  
They slept out in the open because the tents hadn’t made the cut. They were both lying on top of their sleeping bags trying to catch a breeze. Somehow the planet managed to retain a lot of heat even though the sun had hardly made an appearance through the heavy cloud cover.   
  
Sam looked up at the black sky and listened to Colonel O’Neill fidget. It was late and they should have been asleep but she still felt wired from all the physical exertion. Colonel O’Neill’s restlessness wasn’t helping either. Sam knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep while he was still awake. They didn’t carry anything strong enough to handle broken ankle pain, and sleep was probably the only thing that would give him some relief.  
  
She rolled onto her side and groped in his general direction. Her hand landed on his face and she touched his cheek lightly. “Is something wrong?”  
  
“There’s something annoying under my sleeping bag.”  
  
That was better than excruciating pain. “Roll over, I’ll check it out,” said Sam.  She fished around under his bag and pulled out a small pebble. It was too dark to see but it felt really small. “This?” She asked, placing it in his hand.   
  
He rolled onto his back and wiggled around. “Yep. That was it.”  
  
“I can’t believe you felt that.”  
  
He yawned and Sam thought that was a good sign. Maybe they’d get some sleep after all. “Just call me Rapunzel,” he said.  
   
“Rapunzel wasn’t in the Princess and the Pea.”  
  
He reached out and tugged her jacket until she moved closer. “Whatever,” he said when she settled in next to him. “You get the point.”  
  
Sam got the point. She’d been waiting all day to get the point and she was awake long after his breathing became low and even thinking about that point.


End file.
